Brake hanger supporting and retaining means



March 17, 1942. M. s. JOHNSON 2,276,781

BRAKE HANGER SUPPORTING AND RETAINING MEANS Filed May 27, 1941 a, Aff A,

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7M l l I. VImran@ A Patented Mar. 17, 1942 BRAKE HANGER SUPPORTING ANDRETAININGMEANS Malcolm S. Johnson, Chicago, Ill., assigner to IllinoisRailway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of IllinoisApplication May 27, 1941, Serial No. 395,436

Application May 27, 1941, Serial No. 395,436

(Cl. 18S-209) 8 Claims'.

My invention relates to means for swingingly holding the link hangerwhereby the brake head of a railroad car is pendently supported inplace; the invention, more specifically stated, involving a bracket'Iformed integral with the truck frame, or otherwise rigidly securedthereto, and provided with forwardly presented and vertically spacedjaws integral with the vertical rear Wall of the bracket, said wallbeing formed with a reenforcing rib integral therewith and with the topand bottom jaws and arranged intermediate the open sides of the bracket,while the rear wall on opposite sides of said rib provide wide bearingsurfaces for a pair of complementary, superposed hanger retainer blockswhich fit between the spaced jaws; the rear vertical sides of saidblocks being recessed to receive the reen-V forcing rib of the bracket.

The invention has for its object the provision of a bracket with a flatback Wall on opposite sides of the reenforcing rib whereby comparativelywide flat bearing surfaces for the retainer blocks are provided at bothends of the retainer blocks where the bearing is most effective and canbe observed, while at the same timev affording means for holding theretainer blocks against longitudinal or sidewise movement.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bracket whereinthe bearing surfaces for the retainer blocks are arranged substantiallyat right angles to the transverse axis of the bracket and prevent arocking or rolling action on the part of the retainer blocks and theresultant wear.

Another object of the invention is the provision of retainer blockswherein the width of the hanger bearing is reduced therebyv minimizingthe lateral slap of the hanger in the retainer, particularly after Wearhas occurred.

The invention also contemplates retainer blocks whose forward verticalfaces are provided with oisets for the purpose of receiving offsetsurfaces on a specially constructed adapter which is used with theretainer locking pin which passes through registering holes in the twojaws of the bracket.

The objects of my invention and the advantages thereof will all bereadily comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanyingdrawing wherein: Y

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved bracket and assembledretainer blocks with a portion broken away and shown in section to dis-`close the hanger sockets in the retainer blocks as well as the lockingmeans; the upper end of a hanger being shown in' dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,looking in the direction of the arrows and the outline of the hangeromitted.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of my improved bracket.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the improved retainer blocks inassembled relation.

The specific embodiment of my invention as disclosed in the drawingcontemplates an arm I5 which is preferably formed integral With the Ycartruck frame with the outer end of the arm enlarged vertically andlaterally with the lateral enlargement formed into the vertically spacedjaw members I6, Il, whose inner surfaces preferably diverge or flareslightly toward their free ends as more clearly shown in Figure ,1,providing a retainer and hanger receiving socket open at the front andat both sides to permit the hanger I8, partly shown in dotted lines inFigure 1, to straddle the lower jaw member Il. The outer ends of the jawmembers I6, Il are provided with registering oblong holes I9 for thepurpose of receiving a locking pin or means whereby the hanger retainingmeans or blocks are locked in the socket.

The socket formed by the two jaw members i6, Il is closed at its `rearor inner end by the vertical Wall 20 which is provided with asubstantially fiat inner face except for an intermediate verticallydisposed reenforcing rib 2i whose forward side is preferably madearcuate as shown at 22 in Figure 3 so as to permit it to extend and tomerge into the upper and lower jaw members a substantial distanceforward of the wall 20 to properly reenforce the jaws withoutinterfering with the use of retainer blocks of sufcient thickness orstrength; the transverse or side to side dimensions of the wall 20, thewidth of the rib 2l and its disposition are such that comparatively wideand flat bearing surfaces 23, 23 are provided and arranged substantiallyat right angles to the transverse axis of the bracket.

In order to properly support the brake heads and also relieve thebracket of undue wear, the jaws of the bracket are spaced to receive theretainer means or blocks 24, 24, whose opposing faces arecorrespondingly grooved to combinedly provide a hanger receiving socketor channel 25 for swingingly supporting the closed upper end of thehanger or link i8, of present day standard construction with the upperend reduced and of non-circular cross section as shown in dotted linesin Figure 1.

In view of the reduced non-circular construction of the upper end of thehanger or link, the grooves in each retainerblock 24, instead of beingsemi-circular, are somewhat reduced in transverse dimensions andprovided with straight sides as shown at 26, which will minimize orreduce the lateral slap of the hanger in the retainer especially whenthey become worn, while at the same time somewhat increasing thestrength and thickness of the retainer blocks intermediate the groovesand the outer sides.

The rear longitudinal sidesv of the blocks at their ends are providedwith substantially at wide vertical faces as at 2T to match the fiatbearing surfaces 23, 23 in the socket of the bracket and each blockintermediate the ends is recessed as at 28 to receive rib 2l as shown inFigure 2 and provided with a convex or arcuate wall 29 which matches theforward arcuate face 22 of the reenforcing rib 2l in the socket of thehanger; an interengaging relation between the retainer blocks and thebracket thus being provided which holds the retainer blocks againstlongitudinal movement.

The matching or contacting faces of the retainer blocks 2li are eachshown provided with alternate lugs 3G and recesses 3| which alsomaintain the superposed relation between the blocks.

The forward longitudinal sides of the retainer blocks are each provided,intermediate the ends, with a vertically disposed groove adapted toregister with the holes i9 in the bracket jaws i6, I1; and the blocks atthe outer ends of the grooves are offset laterally to provide sockets asshown at 3?; to receive the arcuate ribs 33, 33 formed on the outersubstantially semi-cylindrical surface of an adapter 35 employed inconnection with the locking pin 35.

In constructions as heretofore employed, the order of arrangement of pinand adapter was reversed-the pin being in contact with the retainerblocks and the adapter being disposed toward the Open end of thebracket, with the outer face of the adapter provided with a longitudinalrib intermediate of and connected to the arcuate ribs adjacent oppositeends of the adapter.

In the present arrangement where the adapter 3G is to be employed incontact with the retainer blocks, the outer face of the adapterintermediate the arcuate ribs 33 is made semi-cylindrical to conformwith the semi-circular grooves in the outer longitudinal faces of theretainer blocks 24, while the arcuate ribs 33 present pronouncedshoulders within the laterally offset portions or sockets 32 of theretainer blocks and also to the inner faces of the jaws IB, I 'l of thebracket, with the result that longitudinal creeping movement of theadapter is impossible and hence possibility of the locking means or pin`working loose, due to the constant vibration to which the retainers aresubjected, is eliminated. As is apparent from Figure l, the arcuate ribs33 on the adapter d-whose ends are seated in the holes of both jaws land i'f-aiiord a double bearing, namely on the retainer blocks and alsoagainst the inner faces of the bracket jaws, which assists inrestraining any rolling or rocking tendency of the retainer blocks thatmay result from the severe thrusts and vibrations transmitted by thehanger; the tendency to roll or rock being prevented by the wide flatbearing surfaces 23 in the bracket. The opposing faces of the pin 35 andadaptagravar er 34 are made oppositely sloping so as to effect a bindingrelation between the forward portions of holes I9 in the bracket and theforward faces of the retainer blocks when pin 35 is driven downwardly;and said opposing faces are provided with a longitudinal groove 36 inthe adapter and a longitudinal rib 31 on the pin whereby proper movement0f the pin lengthwise of the adapter is ensured when the pin is drivendownwardly into wedging condition. It will be noted in Figure 1 that theholes i9 in the jaws extend slightly rearward of the forward faces ofthe retainer blocks 24 and that the ends of the adapter do not engagethe rear walls of the holes I9, thus permitting the composite lockingpin to wedgingly maintain the retainer blocks in the socket of thebracket.

With my improved bracket, the usual pocket at the inner end of theretainer holding socket (formed by the usual side ribs) is eliminatedand the entire rear wall of the hanger socket is utilized as a bearingsurface; the bracket wall and the rear longitudinal sides of theretainer blocks being formed with at bearing surfaces, namely at theouter sides of the bracket where the condition of the bearing surfacescan be observed and where the bearing is most effective.

The exemplication shown and described is believed to be the bestembodiment of the invention but certain modifications are possiblewithout, however, departing from the spirit of my invention as definedin the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In brake hanger supporting and retaining means, the combination of anopen sided bracket with laterally disposed and vertically spaced jawsunid at their inner ends by a substantially vertical wall and by avertically extending rib intermediate the opposite sides of the jaws,the vertical wall on opposite sides of the rib presenting wide bearingsurfaces, and a pair of hanger holding blocks insertible between saidjaws, the rear longitudinal sides of said blocks being formed withsubstantially flat surfaces adapted to seat against the bearing surfaceson the vertical wall of the bracket, said blocks being provided withrecesses intermediate their ends adapted to receive said bracket rib andprevent longitudinal movement of the blocks.

2. Inv brake hanger supporting and retaining means, a bracket composedof a pair of vertically spaced jaws united at their inner ends by avertical wall provided with wide substantially flat bearing surfaces,the rear wall and the jaws bey ing reenforced by a vertically disposedrib intermediate the opposite side edges of said wall and jaws, the jawsbeing provided with pin receiving aligned openings.

3. In brake hanger supporting and retaining means, a bracket providedwith a vertical wall and vertically spaced jaws extending laterally fromsaid wall to form retainer means receiving socket open at the sides andat the forward end, the rear wall intermediate its opposite side edgesand on its inner face being provided with a reenforcing rib connectedwith both jaws, the vertical wall on opposite sides of said rib withinthe bracket having at surfaces arranged substanltially at right anglesto the transverse axis of the bracket.

Li. In brake hanger supporting and retaining means, a bracket composedof a vertical wall, vertically spaced jaws extending laterallytherefrom, and a vertical rib integral with said Wall and the inner endsof said `iaws, the vertical Wall on opposite sides of the rib havingfiat surfaces; in combination with a pair of complementary hangerholding blocks arranged in superposed relation and insertible betweensaid jaws, the rear longitudinal surfaces of the blocks intermediate theends being recessed to receive said rib whereby movement of the blocksthrough the open sides of the bracket is prevented; and means wherebymovement of the blocks through the forward end of the bracket isprevented.

5. In brake hanger supporting and retaining ing means, a bracketcomposed of a pair of vertically spaced jaws united at their rear innerends by a vertical wall and a vertical rib arranged substantially at thetransverse median line of the bracket, the rear wall being formed withforwardly presented flat bearing surfaces extending from the sides ofthe bracket to said rib, the outer ends of the jaws having aligned pinreceiving holes.

6. In brake hanger supporting and retaining means, a pair of hangerholding blocks of corresponding configuration adapted to be arranged insuperposed relation and having vertical rear longitudinal sides withflat faces intermediate their transverse median lines and the oppositeends and recesses at said median lines, the opposing faces of the blocksbeing each provided with a hanger receiving groove of arcuate formationat the bottom and substantially straight sides, while the frontlongitudinal sides intermedia-te the ends are provided with verticallyextending locking pin receiving grooves, recessed at the ends adjacentthe outer horizontal faces of the blocks.

7. In brake hanger supporting and retaining means, a pair of hangerholding blocks of Corresponding configuration and dimensions adapted tobe arranged in superposed relation, the contacting faces of each blockbeing provided with a hanger receiving groove, said blocks havingvertical rear longitudinal sides with flat faces between theirtransverse median lines and their ends and recessed at the median lines,each re cess having straight sides and an inner arcuate wall curvingtoward their contacting faces.

8. In brake hanger supporting and retaining means, a pair of hangerholding blocks of corresponding configuration and dimensions adapted tobe arranged in superposed relation and their contacting faces providedwith hanger receiving grooves, the rear longitudinal sides having flatvertical faces recessed at the transverse median line, with the rear orinner walls of the recesses curving toward their contacting faces andthe latter provided with interengaging surfaces, while the frontlongitudinal sides intermediate the ends are provided with verticalgrooves laterally recessed at the outer ends of said grooves.

MALCOLM S. JOHNSON.

